1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns equipment for an internal combustion engined automotive vehicle comprising items such as an alternator, a volumetric compressor and/or an air conditioning compressor rotationally coupled to the engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is known, the alternator is particularly intended to recharge the battery, whereas the volumetric compressor is used to supercharge the engine. The air conditioning compressor provides for air conditioning the passenger space.
As a general rule, there is little space available for accommodating this equipment, which creates problems in driving the latter under optimum conditions. These problems are tending to become more severe since these devices are becoming increasingly complex and numerous in order to satisfy varying requirements, differing from one country or continent to another.
More often than not the equipment units are dispersed in locations which are widely separated from one another, often at opposite ends of the engine, even though this involves using complex and expensive transmission systems, with the objective of accommodating them within minimum overall dimensions. As a general rule this applies to the alternator and the volumetric compressor, which are widely separated from one another.
The present invention proposes to overcome these disadvantages by arranging the alternator and one of said compressors in line with one another so as to constitute a group which is driven in rotation at the same speed from the engine by common drive means.
The invention is more precisely directed towards an alternator-compressor assembly of moderate cost, which is easy to fit (in terms of alignment and centering) and of limited overall dimensions (both in the axial and radial directions).